Ginger Tea and Coffee Cake
by orsa-verba
Summary: One large ginger tea, and one slice of coffee cake. Except he never eats the damned coffee cake.


Hakuryuu noticed him the first time he entered the small bakery. It had nothing to do with him personally, a blast of cold winter air had caught his attention from behind the counter when the young man stepped inside, making the baker look up from the display case he had been organizing. He pushed back his hood as the door swung shut behind him, a mop of dark, messy hair and skin as pale as the snow falling outside. Hakuryuu wasn't altogether sure humans were even _supposed_ to be that pale.

He shook his head and stood up, brushing his hands off on his apron and walking to the register to greet the customer as he approached the counter. He smiled politely.

"What can I get you?" he asked, trying hard not to openly stare at the exposed portion of the man's throat when he tilted his head back to look at the menu overhead.

"Ah— Large ginger tea, please, and—"

The man's gaze fell and Hakuryuu found himself looking into eyes that were, not brown, not amber, but _red_ like fresh cherries. It took him a long moment to realize they were both staring, and the stranger seemed to snap out of it first.

"—Coffee cake." he finished.

"Of course. Five fifteen, please."

While the man reached into his pocket for his wallet, Hakuryuu made a beeline for the part of the display case where the coffee cake was housed, using it as an excuse to tear his eyes away from his customer. He couldn't get those eyes out of his head, even as he carefully set the baked good on a plate. Who had eyes like that? They couldn't be his natural color, right?

He brought the plate back to the counter, setting it down and taking the six dollars he was being handed. He gave back the change, told the man his tea would be out in a moment, smiled, and turned away before he could get himself lost in staring again.

However that temptation was only abated so long. Soon enough he found himself sneaking glances over his shoulder at him, watching as he shrugged his coat off over the back of his chair to reveal a black turtleneck and a long plait of dark hair falling down his back. He'd swung one leg over his knee and pulled out a thick book, which was now open on the table, his eyes scanning the pages, the plate of coffee cake sitting next to his hand.

Hakuryuu looked back at the steeping cup of tea, trying his hardest not to flush. Staring at customers—Honestly what was wrong with him? That was so impolite! Even if the customers _were_ incredibly good looking. He had better manners than this.

It took a few minutes for the tea to steep and once it was done, he stepped out from behind the counter, bringing the tea over to the table by the window and setting it down.

"There you go, large ginger tea. Anything else?"

Looking up found the customer's crimson eyes once again pointed at him and Hakuryuu found himself wondering why he couldn't stop himself from staring _again_. And then, of course, the man smiled and it was like someone had let butterflies loose in the young baker's stomach.

"No thanks." he said, and Hakuryuu didn't bother trying to find his voice, just smiled and nodded before turning around and making his way back behind the counter.

Within the safety of the kitchen, he allowed himself to finally flush, whole face going pink. He slapped his hands over his face, leaning back against the wall and trying very hard not to think about red eyes or pale rose lips smiling at him or anything else related to the customer in front. If he didn't have such a telling face, Hakuryuu might have gone back out to watch the young man from behind the display cabinets, but he didn't dare. He'd be mortified if he was caught.

Instead he busied himself with some dough that had finally set, kneading and rolling it to the appropriate sizes and shapes. Every now and again he would glance out at the front to check for new customers, and every time his eyes would stray to the only one currently in the bakery. The dark haired man just kept reading his book, and once or twice Hakuryuu caught him taking a sip of his tea.

Eventually, he glanced out and found the table empty. He finished putting the last of the rolls into the oven to bake and wiped off his hands, leaving the kitchen at last and wandering out to clean off the table. However, he paused, brows knitting when he found the man's teacup empty, but the plate of coffee cake… Untouched.

That was odd. Why order something you weren't going to eat? Maybe he'd wanted it to go and Hakuryuu had missed him? No, he would've called out then, right?

Perplexed, he picked up the plate and cup, carrying them back to the sink. He felt a little guilty, eating something someone else had paid for, but he felt worse wasting food. Still confused, he spared himself a five minute break to eat the slice of coffee cake.

A week later, the young man came in again. Hakuryuu recognized his coat first and his hair second, quietly staring as he brushed the braid over his shoulder. He smiled at the customer he was currently serving, handing them their bag of baked goods before turning the same smile on the man.

"Back again?" he half-teased, internally swearing at himself once he realized what he'd said. The young man looked mildly surprised, but not altogether displeased, to be remembered.

"Guess I am." he replied, offering a grin. "Same as last time, please."

Hakuryuu wanted to haughtily ask why the man thought he'd remember his order, except that he did. He tried to play it off.

"Ginger tea and… What again?"

"Coffee cake."

"Right. One moment, I'll bring it to your table."

This time, he brought him a slightly smaller piece of the cake, setting it and the cup of tea down on the table by the window that he'd once again taken up residence in. Another grin was cast his way and Hakuryuu tried to tell himself that there were absolutely _not_ butterflies in his stomach again. He was of course, _lying_.

He scurried off quickly before he could embarrass himself by blushing or something else ridiculous, using this time to check up on his other customers. An elderly couple engaged him in conversation, which sufficiently distracted him and several times made him laugh, which he only excused himself from when a new pair of customers walked in. The two girls, who looked to be in high school, took their time ordering and by the time he'd gotten what they wanted, two more customers had walked in.

It wasn't until the small crowd of customers had all either left or taken up seats that he realized the pale man had already taken his leave. Hakuryuu felt bad he hadn't gotten a chance to check in like with the other customers, but slightly worse he'd hadn't the courage to introduce himself.

With a small sigh, he went to clean off his table and—

Hakuryuu stared. There, on the plate, was the slice off coffee cake. _Again_.

Once was nothing, twice was a coincidence—But it made him frown nonetheless as he cleaned it up. He granted himself another five minute break to eat the cake, wondering why it had been left twice in a row.

Over the next month, the young man came in more frequently until he was coming in every few days. _What I ordered last time_ became _my usual_ and despite himself, time and again, Hakuryuu found himself setting out a piece of coffee cake and making a large cup of ginger tea. And, time and again, he would find the cup drained and the cake just sitting there the same way he had set it on the table.

He'd even tested it! He set the fork or napkin down a certain way and he would go back to the table and, inevitably, it would be sitting the exact same way he'd left it. It irked him to no end, and where he kept expecting the young man to change his order, he never did.

By the second month, Hakuryuu chose to experiment with his recipe. He put in more sugar and less cinnamon, and though delighted by a host of customer's positive response to this change, the stranger gave him nothing. Every time it was ginger tea and coffee cake and every time the cake went completely abandoned. Hakuryuu was getting sick of the taste of it.

His annoyance was almost overriding the worsening butterflies in his stomach every time he saw the cherry eyed man. Granted, every time he got a smile, or one of those mischievous grins, it would feel quite a bit like someone set a whole nest of sparrows loose in his chest, but then he would see the coffee cake and the fluttery feeling would turn to irritation. This carried on for almost three months, and still he hadn't bothered to ask the man's name.

One Wednesday afternoon, he walked in and smiled at Hakuryuu and said "the usual, please". Hakuryuu returned the smile, pretending not to feel the stuttering of his heartbeat, but immediately frowned when he found himself staring at the tray of coffee cake. He served the cake and tea, exchanged short pleasantries with his customer, and then he returned behind the counter and _watched_.

He did it inconspicuously, rearranging the display cases and glancing out from behind cake trays and platters of snickerdoodles, but he watched.

The young man read his book, sipped his tea, set it down. Read his book, drank his tea, set it down. Over the course of almost twenty minutes this continued and not once did the stranger even _glance_ at the plate of coffee cake. Did not look at it, touch it, even spare a moment to _consider_ eating it.

Some part of Hakuryuu's patience snapped and he stood up straight, glowering from behind the counter. This bakery was his pride and joy, and he took a lot of time and effort to make everything in it. Watching someone blatantly ignore that hard work drove him absolutely insane, and coupled with what one might safely call a growing crush on the crimson eyed man, he'd had quite enough.

Rounding out from behind the counter he spared a few seconds to make sure the bakery was empty before stomping up to the man and slamming his hands down on the table. To his indignation, he didn't even jump; just looked up, mildly surprised, those cherry eyes of his blinking. He could at least _feign_ surprise!

" _Why_ ," Hakuryuu seethed from between his teeth. "Do you _keep ordering something_ you have _no intention of eating!?_ "

The man blinked again.

"What do you mean?" he asked, and if Hakuryuu had a little less self-control he might have sworn aloud.

"What do—The _stupid coffee cake!_ You always order it and you never eat it! I even changed the damned recipe to see if you just didn't like how it tasted and you _still_ never touched it! You don't even think about eating it! It just sits there! You've been coming in here for months and you haven't eaten it _**once**_ _!_ "

"—Oh."

Again, there was more blinking, but this time his eyes turned down to glance over his book at the aforementioned pastry, like he'd only just noticed it was there. That really did nothing to help with Hakuryuu's current state of fury, actually just adding to his indignation.

"Honestly?" the man said, looking back up at the baker. "I don't really like coffee cake."

Hakuryuu almost wanted to scream.

"Well if you don't like it why in the name of god do you keep ordering it?!"

"It uh, kind of just became a habit."

"Well why did you order it the _first_ time?!"

"—I wasn't going to but you kind of distracted me and it was the first thing to pop into my head."

If the establishment had not been his own Hakuryuu might very well have flipped the table over in his rage. As was he was gripping the edge of it so hard his knuckles were white and he was glowering enough to put an angry german shepherd to shame.

"WHY DID YOU _KEEP_ ORDERING IT?! FOR GOD'S SAKE WHY DO YOU KEEP COMING IN HERE AND ORDERING SOMETHING YOU DON'T MEAN TO EAT?!"

"…To see you, mostly."

It took a few seconds for the words to register and then just like that all of Hakuryuu's anger went slamming out of him with the force of a tidal wave, replaced instead by utter shock. He blinked rapidly, staring at the man, stunned speechless.

They just stared at one another for several long moments before the man spoke up.

"…So you make the coffee cake?"

"Y…es. I make everything here."

"Ah."

He noted the man's hand reaching out for the fork and without hesitation snatched the plate away from him. Cherry eyes flicked up to him with surprise.

"Don't eat something you dislike." he snapped, irritation covering up a growing sense of embarrassment.

"I paid for that." he pointed out with some amusement, and Hakuryuu went pink.

Huffing, he spun on his heel, plate still in hand, stalking off towards the kitchen. He only got halfway before he paused, deliberating a moment before looking over his shoulder.

"…If you don't like coffee cake, what _do_ you like?"

The young man smiled and Hakuryuu felt his flush deepen to his chagrin.

"Fresh fruit." he replied. "Peaches, especially."

"Fine."

And with that Hakuryuu spun on his heel and stalked back into the kitchen.

It was two days before he came in again, and when he did Hakuryuu's heart went pitter pattering into his throat, which tried intensely to ignore. He played it as cool as he could, attending to the customers in front of him before even thinking of giving the other attention. When he reached the counter, he no more got his mouth open before Hakuryuu pointed at the window table.

"Sit." he ordered, and those red eyes sparkled with mirth. He got a mock salute, and then the man turned around, shrugging off his coat as he took up his usual spot.

Five minutes later, Hakuryuu came out with something in each hand. He set the tea down first, and then beside it, a plate on which was a small tart. And though he was still on the clock, Hakuryuu sat himself down across from the man and crossed his arms, leveling his mismatched stare on him.

"It's a spiced tart with peaches and orange zest." he informed him. "It should go well with the tea."

For the first time, he picked up his fork and Hakuryuu watched as he broke off a piece of the tart and tried it. He felt like he was back in culinary school, staring at one of his instructors about to try his creation. What if it hadn't turned out like the first few? Damnit what if he screwed up somehow?

"—This tastes incredible."

Or not.

He watched with some amazement as the usually composed man pulled the plate towards himself and took another bite. His eyes had that sparkle in them that people got when they ate something they particularly enjoyed and Hakuryuu felt himself relax. Though he tried not to dwell on it, his heart swelled in a mixture of pride and those stupid butterflies.

"Good." he said. "Consider it a trade for taking the coffee cake the other day. And… I'm going to start selling them. So I'll change your usual order."

It looked like he had to physically stop himself from eating the tart, setting the fork down and sitting up straight again. He licked his lips (which Hakuryuu certainly did not watch) and grinned.

"Y'know I never got your name."

"You never asked."

"Well I'm asking now."

He snorted and rolled his eyes, but couldn't help returning the smile.

"Hakuryuu." he replied.

"Judal." he finally introduced. "Share with me?"

Hakuryuu glanced down at the plate and the half eaten tart. He really shouldn't, but there weren't anymore customers at the moment, and…

"…Sure. Hand me the fork."

* * *

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